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Eid al-Fitr Could Become ‘Official State Holiday’ in Pennsylvania

by The Lancaster Patriot Staff
January 5, 2024
in PA News
7
Eid al-Fitr Could Become ‘Official State Holiday’ in Pennsylvania

Rep. Tarik Khan (D-Philadelphia County) speaks in favor of House Bill 1752, a measure which would officially recognize Eid al-Fitr as a state holiday. (YouTube/Pa. House Video)

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The Muslim holiday known as Eid al-Fitr could become an official state holiday in Pennsylvania.

House Bill 1752, sponsored by a trio of Democrat representatives in the Philadelphia area, would provide “for the annual designation and holiday observance of the first day of the Islamic lunar month of Shawwal as Eid al-Fitr Day in this Commonwealth.”

Eid al-Fitr, one of two major Muslim holidays, is celebrated at the end of Ramadan, a month of intermittent fasting and religious observances.

According to a House memo, the holiday “includes two to three days of celebrations, and it begins with a special prayer service at the mosque.”

Rep. Tarik Khan (D-Philadelphia County), one of the bill’s co-sponsors, referenced William Penn’s legacy as support for the government’s promotion of the Islamic holiday.

“William Penn, our commonwealth’s founder, was an advocate for democracy and religious freedom,” Khan said. “[Penn was known] for his ability to build community with people that were [of] different faiths.”

While Penn did argue for religious freedom, he did so within the context of the Christian religion. For example, Penn oversaw the enactment of the “Great Law,” the original body of laws enacted by the commonwealth’s legislature in 1682. The preamble reveals Penn’s goal: to “make and establish such laws as shall best preserve true Christian and civil liberty in opposition to all un-Christian licentious and unjust practices.” The 17th century statutes also required that members of civil government in Pennsylvania be Christians who “profess and declare they believe in Jesus Christ to be the Son of God the Savior of the World.”

Khan added that the official recognition of Eid al-Fitr would be a “testament to the growth of the U.S. as a multi-faith and multicultural country.”

Other co-sponsors include Representatives Carol Kazeem (D-Delaware County) and Jason Dawkins (D-Philadelphia County).

The bill passed the House in November 2023 with a vote of 134-69, with 32 Republicans voting in favor, including Representatives Tim Bonner, Tom Jones, and Brett Miller.

Rep. Dave Zimmerman, who voted against the bill, told The Lancaster Patriot that there “are many holidays within the religions,” and he does not want the state to go down a path of officially recognizing them all.

“In America, anyone may celebrate a holiday whether it is on the calendar or not,” Zimmerman said. “The identified holidays now on the calendar are federally sanctioned. Identifying these by states could become confusing for people.”

Matt Kenitzer, pastor of St. John’s Reformed Church in Friedensburg, Pennsylvania, told The Lancaster Patriot that the real problem with the bill is that it recognizes a false religion.

“By the government recognizing a false religion’s holiday they will answer for their iniquity like every other civil servant of God that does evil in the sight of God,” Kenitzer said in a statement. “As they do this they will continue to lead the people of this country in the downgrade that we are in to full pluralistic democratic humanism under the guise of love, tolerance, and freedom of religion. Sadly many Christians will support this.”

Last year, the Lancaster County Commissioners similarly recognized a non-Christian religion when they signed a proclamation celebrating Hindu festivals in Lancaster County.

The bill to recognize Eid al-Fitr as a state holiday is currently in committee in the State Senate.

Tags: islamreligion
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Comments 7

  1. scott s says:
    2 years ago

    Good Night America!! I would say it starts but IT started a long time ago. SAD!!

    Reply
  2. Joshua L says:
    2 years ago

    And if you oppose this bill you’re probably a kinist according to Big Eva.

    Reply
  3. jamalh says:
    2 years ago

    The Globalist agenda: pollute, pervert and downgrade all Goyim religions before replacing globally the sodomite rainbow with the Noahide one.

    Reply
  4. Steve & MaryLou Brubaker says:
    2 years ago

    We are very surprised to hear that our Representative Tom Jones voted for this false religion to be on the calendar as a celebrated holiday.

    Reply
    • Chris Hume says:
      2 years ago

      The “freedom fighters” in the PA GOP are not what they seem….Jones, Zimmerman, et al.

      Reply
  5. KinPA says:
    2 years ago

    Why is should the Christian religion be the only religion? This world is full of a diversity of religions. They don’t hurt you. I don’t think any religious holidays should be state or federal holidays. Separation of church and state! If you need a religious holiday off you should request it of your employer, but everyone shouldn’t be given a day off with pay for your religious holiday.

    Reply
    • Haven Eager says:
      1 year ago

      You do understand that separation of church and state was originally meant as no state interference with the church, right?

      Reply

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